<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Unexpected Alliances by DearCat</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22467472">Unexpected Alliances</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/DearCat/pseuds/DearCat'>DearCat</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Tumblr Archive [20]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Katekyou Hitman Reborn!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Dark, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Gen, ask, bad parenting has consequences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 08:28:02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,142</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22467472</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/DearCat/pseuds/DearCat</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Anonymous asked: Hey, so I had this funny little thought of what would happen if Xanxus and Tsuna met the first time for at the ring battle, tried to scope out the competition with flame-voodoo of some flavour, saw how scarred each other’s flames/souls were from their seals and went; fuck this noise. And like. Bonded or something, to just about everyone’s horror. Seen how well you write Xanxus and Tsuna and thought you could do something good with that</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sawada Tsunayoshi &amp; Xanxus</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Tumblr Archive [20]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1533116</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1661</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Precious Rare and Unique</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Unexpected Alliances</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Anon, you evil mastermind. You absolute genius. You’ve given me <i>ideas.</i></p><p>Enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tsuna can feel it, better and better the closer they get to the school. He can feel them, flames with a flavour so achingly familiar to his own, tinged with as much fear as his but with far more bravado, far more anger. His intuition keeps screaming in his head, hard enough that he’s having a hard time walking straight. </p><p>Not that the situation helps.</p><p>It leaves him defenceless to the other’s probing and that is what it is. In a distant part of his awareness, Tsuna knows what it is that the owner of those flames is trying to do. They’re trying to figure out the strengths of Tsuna’s sky, the weaknesses. They’re sizing him up.</p><p>But Tsuna, guided by instinct and intuition, cradles those scarred flames in a protective hug, carefully shielding them from the fraying seal on Tsuna’s forehead. Those flames are stubborn, though. As soon as they realize that Tsuna is trying to keep them away from something, they double down. </p><p>Bending over in pain, Tsuna gasps for breath but keeps the storm-tinted sky away from the seal with as much determination as he can muster. There’s chaos all around them but Tsuna ignores it, intent hyper-focused on their interaction. Soon enough, though, those flames come close enough to identify what they’re trying to poke at and then, they recoil. </p><p>When Tsuna finally manages to open his eyes, it’s to look directly at a red-eyed glare directed his way. </p><p>“They sealed you,” the dark-haired man accuses, torn between anger and violence. </p><p>Reborn lowers the edge of his hat, the slant of his mouth turned down in a grimace. The blonde man at the edges of both of their groups makes a chocked sound but doesn’t move. Tsuna registers who he is and dismisses him just as quickly. “I don’t know. Maybe. What did they do to you?”</p><p>There’s no need to clarify further, not when Tsuna’s flames are trying to soothe the scarred edges of the older man’s sky. Not when the storm-tinted sky surrounds his own in something that feels like reluctant sympathy. The beginnings of protectiveness. </p><p>“They froze me.”</p><p>Tsuna takes that in, looks at the scars on the other sky’s body and nods to himself. “Xanxus, right?” With a look at Takeshi, Tsuna licks his lips. “Do you like sushi?”</p><p>Xanxus snorts, unimpressed and just as angry as before but when he starts walking, he gestures for Tsuna to follow. They both ignore the chaos, the exclamations from behind them. Whatever this is, it’s more important than the ring battle. </p><p>“I don’t want to be a mafia boss,” Tsuna whispers to Xanxus as soon as they sit down at Takesushi. “But Reborn keeps telling me that I don’t have a choice.”</p><p>The assassin closes his eyes, slumping in his seat and finishes his cup of sake in one big gulp. “You don’t but we can make the best of it.”</p><p>“We?” And it’s tentative because the flames surrounding him feel like they could be a safety net if they wanted to but... Do they?</p><p>Wrath flames flare before they settle back down in a display of temper Tsuna's learning to know as common. “Yes, we. Don’t make me repeat myself to you, trash. You’re Don Vongola now.”</p><p>Tsuna closes his eyes in something that feels a little bit like grief, “Vongola Nono?” But Xanxus doesn’t answer and Tsuna nods to himself. “I’ll arrange the funeral.” He doesn't know what he's sorrowful over, he doesn't really remember the man. A possibility, maybe. A hope that was never to be. </p><p>It seems to be the right answer. Xanxus rearranges himself, arm coming up to pull Tsuna until the younger sky is nestled to his side, warm and protected. “We’ll figure it out together, baby boss.”</p><p>And Tsuna breathes, reciprocates the cosy protective embrace of those storm-sky flames with his own and allows himself to offer just as much in return. Neither of them mentions just how hard they’re clinging to each other. “Iemitsu?”</p><p>“We’ll get rid of him later.”</p><p>Tsuna... He hasn't changed his mind, he doesn't want to be a Mafia Boss and despite Reborn's best efforts, Tsuna doesn't feel like he's Vongola at all. Vongola is just this big name, this terrifying prospect that has taken over his life. But with this older sky grasping him tightly, both of their heartbeats thundering under their skin...</p><p>With this, Tsuna thinks he could handle it. </p><p>Vongola is still a cage but Tsuna doesn't feel so alone anymore, so thrown into the deep end with only a sadistic tutor for guidance. Xanxus is ill-tempered and as broken as Tsuna is but he's broken different ways and Tsuna has the feeling that their broken edges complement one another.</p><p>"I want him gone," Tsuna confesses against the fabric of Xanxus' shirt.</p><p>Xanxus nods, pressing a plate of food to Tsuna's hands, "soon, I swear."</p><p>It's enough, it's going to have to be. </p><p>Days later, Iemitsu is finally gone. Back to Italy, so the blonde can try to find a man whose body will never be found. And Tsuna breathes a sigh of relief, refusing to feel guilty over his mother sadness. "Mama," Tsuna calls to her, Xanxus firmly kept in place by his side. "This is Xanxus, he's my cousin."</p><p>The Varia stay, for a year. They stay for Xanxus and Xanxus stays for Tsuna, Tsuna knows that well. Xanxus had been planning on staying just a month, maybe two, to help Tsuna's training as best he could, the rest could be done by videocalls and the occasional visit. But Tsuna can be selfish and more than a little possessive.</p><p>For all that he has friends now, for the longest time his family was only Nana and him so the existence of a cousin that wants him, that indulges him with grumpy patience... It's a wonder and Tsuna grasps that relationship with both hands and refuses to let go. It means that every time Xanxus so much as thinks of leaving, Tsuna cajoles, pouts, grumbles and throws puppy-eyes around for all his worth. </p><p>And Xanxus stays. </p><p>Not really due to Tsuna's attempts, that the younger sky knows. It's more due to the fact that those attempts exists at all. Xanxus likes that, the knowledge that he's not only needed but wanted, that his presence is preferred. So he indulges Tsuna, folds to his pleading with snarls and broken glasses but pleased flames; rasps Tsuna's head when he curls up beside the Wrath but pulls the younger teen closer anyway. </p><p>A year after Xanxus returns to Italy, Tsuna follows him. He stays in the Varia Castle instead of the Iron Fort and drags all of his Guardians behind him. Xanxus pretends he hates it but the hug he gave Tsuna when he arrived was tight enough to almost break his ribs. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope you enjoyed it!</p><p>My <a href="https://dearcat1.tumblr.com">Tumblr</a>.</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>